By Kerry Bentivolio

Detroit Free Press guest writer

Kerry Bentivolio

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Whether stuck in traffic because of construction or fixing a flat tire after hitting a pothole, Michiganders feel frustrated with the quality of our roads. Despite making the best cars in the world, our state ranks near the bottom of transportation spending per capita.

To pay for more infrastructure funding, some suggest additional taxes. Others demand moving money around in our state budget. A third way exists — a fairer, more efficient Federal Highway Fund.

Recently, my Republican colleagues U.S. Rep. Tom Graves from Georgia and Senator Mike Lee of Utah introduced the Transportation Empowerment Act, which I happily cosponsored. The Transportation Empowerment Act completely reforms the way the federal government distributes highway funds, by promoting local control, efficient projects and a more competent system for fixing our crumbling infrastructure. The bill promises to allow “states to respond to the needs of their communities and develop systems that result in less traffic, shorter commutes, access to more affordable homes and will help families better manage the work-life balance.”

The Transportation Empowerment Act does three things that would improve our roads. First, it grants nearly “all authority regarding federal highway and transit programs to the states over a five-year period.” I trust Michiganders to spend our taxpayer money more wisely than federal bureaucrats. We know which roads need to be fixed and which bridges need repair better than anyone in Washington, D.C.

Secondly, the bill decreases the federal gas tax from 18.4 cents to 3.7 cents. We have experienced pain at the pump for far too long. The one-size-fits-all approach of a national gas tax simply does not work. Our governor and state legislators can assess the need for transportation revenue better than Congress.

Finally, Michigan would receive a block grant with fewer federal strings attached. This allows local leaders to determine where to get started. When we empower our communities, we are all better off. When we allow our city officials to decide which construction projects get built, we get more efficient use of taxpayer money.

The federal government makes a terrible middleman. The Transportation Empowerment Act helps Michigan while decreasing federal taxes. In 2012, our state paid more than $1 billion into the Federal Highway Trust Fund. After the money went to Washington and became entangled in red tape, Michigan’s buying power fell to an estimated $823 million . Nearly 20% of our gas tax went to the bureaucracy rather than infrastructure.

A broken transportation system hits Michiganders in the pocketbook. Every year, our friends and neighbors spend millions of dollars on car repairs after driving on crumbling streets. Nearly everyone knows the annoyance of sitting in traffic congestion caused by the constant patching of our roads. It’s time for that to change. Reforming how the Federal Highway Fund works is a good start.

Kerry Bentivolio, a Republican from Milford, represents Michigan’s 11th District in the U.S. House.